Patent Trolls Beware

This week, House Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) announced that he intends to introduce a bill as early as next week that will address patent troll abuses.  On the Senate side, Senate Judiciary Chair Pat Leahy (D-VT) believes that his companion bill will be ready after recess.  The efforts of both members will combine numerous bills that have been introduced by lawmakers on this issue by both parties.  This news, combined with President Obama's commitment to addressing the patent troll issue, could force the offending trolls to halt their behavior in the near term.  For more information on the Coalition for Patent Fairness' efforts in this area, please visit the link below.

http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/50-groups-coalesce-fight-patent-trolls-151214

GWU Commencement 2013

The George Washington University had a fabulous commencement this year-- check out the video below!
http://commencement.gwu.edu/

Best Practices in IP Conference Spotlights Monetization of Patents

On May 29, 2013, The Best Practices in IP 2013: International Perspectives on Creating and Extracting Value Conference in Tel Aviv featured a special Keynote focused on monetization.  The first panel kicked off with the question "Why monetize patents?"  According to the panel, since 2000 the trend towards monetization has grown, particularly exemplified in the field of telecommunications and technology.  Jonathan Taub of the Acacia Research Group engaged the audience with an insightful discussion about how to monetize patents; whether to license them, or to sell them.  Companies are increasingly following alternative paths towards monetization, and this recent panel added interesting food for thought in the ongoing debate over patent trolls.

USPTO Celebrates Memorial Day

On May 23, The Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for IP and Acting USPTO Director Teresa Stanek Rea spoke at an Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony.  In her comments, Rea recalled how the original USPTO building, which stood in Washington, DC, had ties to our nation's military history.  She explained that this USPTO site once served as a hospital for Union soliders during the Civil War.  In addition, during WWII, most of the USPTO's offices were relocated to a tobacco farm in Richmond, VA, to make more room for the ongoing war efforts.  To view Rea's entire speech, please visit: http://www.uspto.gov/news/speeches/2013/rea_memorialday.jsp

Congress Continues to Focus on Patents

On the heels of the sweeping patent reforms instituted by the America Invents Act of 2011, there are several other pieces of legislation that would fill in some of the blanks omitted by the AIA.  In particular, these new proposals offer fixes for federal patent litigation rules.  This week, Senator Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the "Patent Abuse Reduction Act of 2013" (S. 1013),  which aims to reduce unnecessary and "abusive" patent litigation.  The bill would require plaintiffs to disclose their identities and the substance of their claim upon filing suit, heighten pleading requirements and limit discovery until after claim construction is completed.  In addition to the Patent Abuse Reduction Act, Congress is also considering the "Saving High-tech Innovators from Egregious Legal Disputes" (SHIELD) Act (H.R. 6245), introduced by Congressman de Fazio (D-OR), which would introduce a one-way fee shifting system that would require losing plaintiffs to cover the attorney fees incurred by successful defendants.  It will be interesting to analyze how these proposals move forward as Congress considers other key legislative packages throughout the year, and the battle to combat the growing patent troll problem wages on.

IP Analyst (Part-Time) West Hollywood, California

 

CuriousMinds.com is seeking an Intellectual Property Analyst who will work part-time (10-25 hours per/week)  with both the Engineering & Business Development teams (and then outside counsel)  on new patent application filings for mobile technologies.

Job Responsibilities:
• Draft invention descriptions and and work with outside counsel to complete provisional, non-provisional, continuation, continuation-in-part, and divisional patent applications with the USPTO.
• Translate innovative product specifications to invention descriptions, complete with necessary figures and diagrams.
• Work with the product and engineering team on specifications and design of new products.
• Assist in the ongoing prosecution of patent applications often in conjunction with outside counsel.
• Evaluate company innovations and product development for patentability and financial worth.

Job Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and project management skills
• Strong ability to prioritize and multi-task in a fast paced environment
• Proficient in PowerPoint, Word, and Vizio (or similar program)
• Attributes: Self-motivated, positive, problem solver, team player, accountable, reliable, consistent, strong work ethic, focused, and organized
• Engineering background a big plus
• Registered Patent Agent a big plus Contact:
Apply by emailing us at: jobs@curiousminds.com.
Additional Info:
Employer Type: Small Corporation
Job Location: West Hollywood, Calif.

Tom Mazzuchi Joins GWMPP Advisory Board

Over the past few months we have built a strong Advisory Board for GW's Master of Patent Practice (MPP) Program.  We are honored to announce that Dr. Thomas A. Mazzuchi, Chair of GW's Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering will join our prestigious and growing list of Advisory Board Members.  Dr. Mazzuchi received GW's Professor of the Year Award on several occasions, and published over 54 refereed journal publications and 15 book chapters since joining GW in 1985.  He is also a Professor of Operations Research and Engineering Management at the University.  We are thrilled that Dr. Mazzuchi will offer his leadership in crafting a solid engineering component into GW's MPP Program, and look forward to our amazing partnership with GW's School of Engineering and Applied Science.

 

 

JOB SPOT

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC has an immediate opening for a Patent Agent or Technical Specialist with 2+ years of experience and a degree in Science or Engineering. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, working directly with inventors in conducting patentability studies and drafting patent applications in the technical areas of consumer goods, semiconductor processing and inorganic chemistry. USPTO registration preferred. The firm’s compensation and benefits package is competitive with other top-level firms. All applications must be accompanied by a resume, cover letter, transcript and writing sample.
Contact:
Qualified candidates should apply by visiting this link: https://lawcruit.micronapps.com/sup/v3/lc_supp_app_frm.aspx?lawfirm=113&id=0. All applications must be accompanied by a resume, cover letter, transcript and writing sample. All questions should be directed to Donna J. Nolan, Manager of Legal Recruiting, at donna.nolan@bipc.com. EOE.
Additional Info:
Employer Type: Law Firm
Job Location: Alexandria, Virginia
 

Can Smart Phones Get Any Smarter?

Could your iPhone be smarter than you in the future?  A patent application published by the USPTO today indicates that a phone or other device empowered with "situational awareness" is a new possibility.  The filing describes various ways that this device would be able to adjust its own volume, switch to vibrate mode, and make other adjustments without even a tap of your finger.  Imagine your phone being "polite enough" to lower its ringtone before you go to bed or to utilize other sensory technology.  But wait...don't get too excited just yet... 

As you know, even if this invention does receive a patent, it may never find its way onto store shelves.  Apple may have no intention of selling this device.  Moreover, as the entire smart phone market has rapidly become more advanced, some engineers have already developed similar types of capabilities, making the determination of what is "new" not all that easy.  As such, this particular patent could be difficult to defend in court, and this application highlights how the explosive growth of technology can present challenges to our patent system.  It also begs the question:  Should applications for advanced technology that are vague be acceptable (and what is considered too vague)?  Check out the Apple Application.

Welcome to the new blog for GW's Master of Patent Practice Program!  Come back and visit for updates related to the launch of this dynamic new program, changes in the field of patent law, career tips and much more.